Clear The Air News Blog Rotating Header Image

Local

Study: Environmental Protection Not Up To Par In HK

Nov 21st, 2008
by AdminCTA.
Comments are off for this post

China Daily HK Edition – November 21, 2008

Hong Kong people have seen an overall improvement in the city’s sustainable development, but are mostly dissatisfied with its efforts in environmental protection, a study has found.

The environment, afterall, is generally considered one of the most important aspects – right up there with education.

City University of Hong Kong (CityU) and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce of Hong Kong (CCC) have conducted their sustainable-development study for the fifth year. A total of 2,013 Cantonese-speaking people older than 18 were interviewed between December and January.

The CCC identifies 10 key economic, environmental and social areas as important for the territory’s continual development.

Based on the level of importance and that of satisfaction with performance in each area rated by the respondents, the Hong Kong Sustainable Development Index (HKSDI) is calculated.

The index in 2007 bounced to a new high of 103.6, up from 102.6 in 2006, with baseline of 100 in 2003.

“The gaps between importance and satisfaction in nine of the 10 priorities decreased in 2007, resulting in an overall increase in HKSDI,” said Graeme Lang, convener of CCC’s SDI sub-committee.

This revealed that the community saw an overall improvement in most issues to bring Hong Kong toward sustainable development last year, he added.

While the education system had been the most important item in recent years, environmental protection was tied for first this year with both issues scoring 8.3 out of 10.

Lang explained that the media has been covering more on climate change and global warming over these years, which raises public awareness of environmental conservation.

However, interviewees viewed the progress on environmental protection the worst among all 10 agendas, giving it a barely passing grade of 5.5 out of 10.

Among all environmental issues, 52 percent of the respondents ranked clean air as the top concern, down from 65 percent last year.

“People are losing hope in tackling air pollution,” said Andy Cornish, director of conservation for World Wide Fund For Nature Hong Kong. “The government is also lagging behind public expectations.”

Bus Ban Plea

Nov 20th, 2008
by AdminCTA.
No comments yet

SCMP | Updated on Nov 20, 2008

In the letter (“Why allow polluting buses?” November 17) Mary Chan rightly asks why buses belching black smoke are allowed.

I would add to the list a ban on buses and all traffic coming up D’Aguilar Street and turning onto Stanley and Wellington streets. These areas should be converted to pedestrian use only with allowances for the occasional delivery vehicle to service the businesses there. But do we really need massive double-decker buses, minibuses and a raft of taxis and private cars cramming these small side streets? The answer is no.

I am sick of walking towards Wellington Street only to have a bus throw choking clouds of black smoke into my face. It is unacceptable.

Randall van der Woning, Tai Po

Government And Bus Companies Trying Hard To Curb Pollution

Nov 19th, 2008
by AdminCTA.
No comments yet

SCMP | Updated on Nov 19, 2008

I refer to the letter by Mary Chan (“Why allow polluting buses?” November 17). She argues that the government is doing nothing to combat worsening pollution in Central. This is far from the truth.
In fact, the government has required franchised bus companies to take a number of measures to reduce vehicle emissions. These include deployment of environmentally-friendly buses on busy corridors, installation of emission reduction devices, rationalisation of bus routes and stops and the introduction of bus-bus interchange schemes to reduce bus trips. As a result of rationalisation, bus trips in Central were reduced by 18 per cent (2,800 trips) from 1999 to 2006. The total number of franchised buses has decreased from about 6,200 at the end of 2000 to about 5,900 at the end of 2006. These measures have helped reduce roadside emissions, particularly along busy corridors.

Also, bus companies have tried their best to deploy environmentally-friendly vehicles in Hong Kong. By the end of 2006, around 66 per cent of the franchised buses had engines of Euro II or above emission standards. All buses with pre-Euro and Euro I engines (about 34 per cent of the bus fleet) have been retrofitted with catalytic converters or continuous regenerating traps. It is estimated that by the end of 2011 the number of franchised buses with Euro II engines or above will increase to 84 per cent of the total fleet.

Most importantly, local bus companies have made a great effort to protect our environment.

Take KMB, for example. As of June 30, KMB had 4,018 buses, all of which comply with Euro emission standards.

At present, more than 600 KMB buses reach Euro IV-standard emissions. From this year, the even more environmentally-friendly Euro V diesel, with only 0.001 per cent sulphur content, has been progressively introduced in the KMB fleet. This new type of near-zero sulphur diesel can make a further contribution to improving the environment through cleaner emissions.

Undoubtedly there is room for improvement, but our government and bus companies have tried their best to deal with the pollution problems.

Charlie Chan Wing-tai , Sha Tin

Why Allow Polluting Buses?

Nov 17th, 2008
by AdminCTA.
No comments yet

SCMP | Updated on Nov 17, 2008

The government is going ahead with the enhancement of the waterfront at Victoria Harbour.
It is also seeking to relieve traffic congestion with the construction of the Central-Wan Chai bypass. But why is it doing nothing to combat the worsening pollution in Central?

Every day, passengers along Pedder Street, Des Veoux Road Central and Queen’s Road Central are exposed to exhaust emissions from vehicles, in particular buses.

The situation is particularly serious near Pottinger Street, next to the “eyesore” of the former Central market, which has been in a dilapidated state for years.

Taxi drivers have told me that in the early evening they see many buses along busy Hennessy Road which are only half-full.

Why do we have overlapping bus routes?

This just exacerbates the pollution problems.

Also, a lot of these buses emit heavy black smoke.

It is clearly visible to the naked eye.

Why is it that the government allows bus companies to deploy environmentally-unfriendly vehicles in such a densely populated city as Hong Kong?

Surely in other cities around the world this would not be tolerated.

The Environment Bureau and the bus companies owe the public an answer as why these vehicles are still a major cause of pollution.

Mary Chan, Central

Development Rethink To Let Fresh Air Into City

Nov 17th, 2008
by AdminCTA.
No comments yet

SCMP | Updated on Nov 17, 2008

Improving quality of life is one of the keys to Hong Kong’s continued success. The government well knows that changing property developers’ ways is central to achieving this aim. The so-called wall effect and canyons created by cheek-by-jowl buildings are synonymous with our city, but also make our environment uncomfortable. It is therefore good that authorities are considering significant changes to the present system.

Land being a premium has naturally meant that developers have done their utmost to maximise its potential. Scarcity means high values which translate into economic considerations being foremost when sites are planned. As a result, buildings with little or no space between them line the waterfront and hillsides. The views are spectacular, but for those at street level, the lack of air circulation and sunlight can be stifling, especially in the humid months of summer and when pollution is high.

As we report today, a public consultation could start as early as next month to look at a vastly different development approach. Among proposals are that only 70 per cent of the length of a site can be used, ensuring better air flow between buildings, and that 30 per cent of the total area be set aside for greenery. Such a model seems on its face to be a much-needed breath of fresh air for our city, but it needs to be carefully considered. A balance has to be found to ensure that developers are not overly jeopardised; height restrictions of buildings may have to be relaxed to compensate for area densities being lessened.

There is significant reason for a rethink. Developers who presently voluntarily add green features like podium gardens to buildings are given incentives such as extra floor area. This has not always been conducive to improving the environment. There are cases of the system having been abused, to the detriment of the community.

The government is to be commended for taking environmental concerns firmly on board and pushing ahead with finding a better system. If Hong Kong is to flourish and thrive, we have to improve living standards. But developers have to be listened to and rules made flexible. With care and forethought, the mistakes of the past can be avoided.

Public Urged To Check For Respiratory Illness

Nov 17th, 2008
by AdminCTA.
No comments yet

Anita Lam – SCMP | Updated on Nov 17, 2008

Those with a persistent cough and elderly people should be checked for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, as hospital admission rates always jump during periods of cold and wet weather, a doctor has warned.

Respiratory medicine expert Roland Leung said many Hongkongers were still unaware of the disease, which the World Health Organisation expected to become the world’s third-biggest killer in the next two decades.

According to Hospital Authority figures, an average of four people died of the disease every day in 2006. Dr Leung said that despite a drop in the number of deaths since then – because of a reduction in the number of smokers – Hong Kong had the second-highest death rate for the disease in East Asia last year, lagging just behind Japan.

“If your coughing lasts for more than three months and you are always short of breath, then you should go for a check-up,” Dr Leung said.

A 2005 study found 100,000 Hongkongers suffering from the disease – some even in the terminal stage – had never sought treatment, as many tended to put it down to an unhealthy lifestyle.

Directly linked to air pollution, Dr Leung said that apart from pneumonia, the disease was the most common cause of hospital admissions in Hong Kong. At worst patients may find themselves unable to carry out even the simplest household tasks such as cooking and cleaning.

Dr Leung said patients should try a new steroid-free medicine called Tiotropium to manage the illness.

A four-year study on the medicine, which helps sufferers breathe more easily, was found to be about 15 per cent more efficient than a traditional inhaler in improving patients’ lives, although its effects declined for long-term users.

Tiotropium has been available in public hospitals for about a year and is also available in local pharmacies with a referral letter from a doctor.

Brown Clouds Over Asia Pose New Threat To Planet: UN

Nov 13th, 2008
by AdminCTA.
No comments yet

CBC News | Thursday, November 13, 2008

A polluted Hong Kong island skyline is seen in September 2008. High to very high pollution levels were recorded in various districts in the territory at the time.

A polluted Hong Kong island skyline is seen in September 2008. High to very high pollution levels were recorded in various districts in the territory at the time. (Bobby Yip/Reuters)

A brown haze of soot, particles and chemicals that hangs over parts of Asia is darkening cities, melting glaciers in the Himalayas and making weather systems more extreme, the United Nations said Thursday.

Scientists who have studied the thick brown clouds, which they estimate to be more than three kilometres thick, said the haze stretches from the Arabian Peninsula to China and the Western Pacific Ocean. It is officially known as atmospheric brown clouds.

The scientists, who come from China, India, Europe and the U.S., said in a new report commissioned by the UN Environment Program that the brown clouds are aggravating the impact of climate change caused by greenhouse gases in some regions.

They said they are issuing the warning now about the brown haze because it is a “serious and significant” environmental challenge facing the planet that poses a threat to human health and food production.

“Imagine for a moment a three-kilometer-thick band of soot, particles, a cocktail of chemicals that stretches from the Arabic Peninsula to Asia,” Achim Steiner, UN undersecretary general and executive director of the program, said during a news conference on the findings.

“All of this points to an even greater and urgent need to look at emissions across the planet, because this is where the stories are linked in terms of greenhouse emissions and particle emissions and the impact that they’re having on our global climate,” he said.

The brown clouds have darkened 13 cities in Asia, including Beijing, Shanghai, Bangkok, Cairo, Mumbai, New Delhi and Tehran, “dimming” sunlight in some places by as much as 25 per cent.

The brown clouds, produced by the burning of fossil fuels, wood and plants, form particles like black carbon and soot that absorb sunlight and warm the air, enhancing the greenhouse effect.

Mask for warming impact

Scientists, however, said the brown clouds also “mask” the warming impacts of climate change by an average of 40 per cent because they contain particles that reflect sunlight and cool the earth’s surface.

According to the report, the phenomenon has been studied closely in Asia, but it is not unique to the region, with brown clouds seen over parts of North America, Europe, southern Africa and the Amazon Basin.

The scientists said the brown clouds are having a negative impact on air quality and agricultural production in Asia with risks to human health increasing. Health problems associated with the brown clouds include cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.

Veerabhadran Ramanathan, head of the scientific panel that is carrying out the research and a professor at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California in San Diego, said the huge cloud masses can cross continents in the space of three to four days.

It’s not a regional issue, but a global one, he said.

“The main message is that it’s a global problem. This is not a problem where we point fingers at our neighbours. Everyone is in someone else’s backyard,” Ramanathan said.

He said one of most serious problems noted in the report is melting of the Hindu Kush-Himalaya-Tibetan glaciers, which provide the head-waters for the major river systems including the Ganges, Brahmaputra, Mekong and Yangtze rivers.

The Ganges basin, for example, is home to more than 400 million people and holds 40 per cent of India’s irrigated croplands.

He said the melting has “serious implications for the water and food security of Asia.”

The Chinese Academy of Sciences estimates that the glaciers have shrunk five per cent since the 1950s and the volume of China’s nearly 47,000 glaciers has fallen by 3,000 square kilometres over the past quarter century.

The brown clouds also have helped decrease the monsoon season in India. The weather extremes caused by the clouds may have also helped to reduce production of crops such as rice, wheat and soybean, according to the report.

Ramanathan said he hopes the report “triggers” an international response to the problems of greenhouse gases and brown clouds and the “unsustainable development” that underlies them both.

“The new research, by identifying some of the causal factors, offers hope for taking actions to slow down this disturbing phenomenon,” he said.

Low-emission Zone Plan Closer As Pilot Study Nears end

Nov 13th, 2008
by AdminCTA.
Comments are off for this post

Cheung Chi-fai, SCMP – Nov 13, 2008

A pilot study on low-emission zones where polluting franchised buses are banned will finish next year, acting Secretary for the Environment Kitty Poon Kit told legislators yesterday.

Replying to Democrats lawmaker Kam Nai-wai’s queries on the scheme, Dr Poon said the government would wait until the study was completed to determine a timetable to implement it.

The pilot scheme will target buses first since they accounted for up to a third of traffic in busy areas such as Mong Kok, Causeway Bay and Central and their emissions were relatively high, according to Dr Poon.

“We have to look at a basket of factors including how it might impact on the traffic flow as well as roadside air quality.”

Vehicle emission standards would also be studied, she said. All new vehicles must met Euro IV emission standards. Vehicles that do not meet the standard might be banned from the low-emission zones.

Dr Poon said there were similar schemes in London, Toyko, Shanghai and Berlin and they varied in terms of the implementation period, types of vehicles affected, and enforcement.

But the legislators were unconvinced and criticised the government for failing to seriously and urgently address air pollution.

Some said the government was delaying through lengthy study. Others were unhappy the government had refused to pursue a more direct solution like replacing older buses.

“The air pollution can’t be more serious but the government always says it is studying it,” Mr Kam said. “So why did the government not use the $3.2 billion diesel vehicle replacement grant to phase out dirty buses and set a deadline for such a switch? Otherwise, we won’t solve the problems in 20 years,” he added. He was referring to the one-off grant to encourage vehicle owners to replace their pre-Euro and Euro I diesel commercial vehicles.

Dr Poon said there were existing plans between the Transport Department and the bus companies to replace the older bus fleet.

She said replacing the fleet earlier might cost the bus companies more money. Whether public funds should be used and how, if at all, to restructure fares would also have to be considered.

According to Dr Poon, the bus companies were already deploying environmentally friendly buses in busy districts.

She said about 80 per cent of franchised buses in Causeway Bay and Admiralty were already Euro II models or higher.

Wong Video Targets Wheezy City

Nov 8th, 2008
by AdminCTA.
No comments yet

Clara Mak – SCMP | Updated on Nov 08, 2008

Like a lot of people living in Hong Kong, Magic Boy director Adam Wong Sau-ping suffers bouts of hay fever. But instead of just blowing his nose into an endless number of hankies, he chose to address the issue of air pollution, which he believes triggers the reaction.

His concerns are probably justified. A recent Greenpeace report states that frequent exposure to air pollution can lower resistance to respiratory diseases and also increase chances of developing conditions such as asthma and bronchitis.

Greenpeace added that the Hong Kong government’s Air Pollution Index, its daily measure of air quality in the city, doesn’t quite reflect the reality. The index has been neither reviewed nor updated in the past two decades to match the World Health Organisation (WHO) standards, so Greenpeace has launched its own “Real Air Pollution Index”.

Meanwhile, Wong (pictured) filmed a short video to help promote the Greenpeace campaign. The 33-year-old recruited a group of children, whom he shot undertaking various activities around the city.

“At the beginning of the video, these 10 lovely children went out after they were reassured by the weather report that the air quality on the day was suitable for them to do outdoor activities,” he says. “So, they went out taking deep breaths in Kwun Tong, running in Sha Tin, blowing balloons in Central, playing music with a pianica and singing on the Tsing Ma Bridge.

“But by the end, you will hear these children coughing and wheezing because the current index just simply does not reflect the true air quality level here. We are using a standard that is some 20 years behind and far below the WHO standard,” Wong says.

Living in the busy district of Mong Kok, Wong has developed ways of dealing with air pollution. He takes a few steps back when he waits to cross the road to avoid breathing in fumes and he rinses his mouth with water when he gets home to prevent a sore throat.

Air pollution, he says, is as serious as the recent Chinese milk powder scare. “It’s like telling a child the milk he drinks is contaminated with melamine. The difference is if you don’t drink the milk every day or eat a large quantity of White Rabbit candies in one go, you probably won’t develop a kidney stone or die. However, you can’t choose not to breathe even though the air is polluted. It’s just scary.”

Wong tries to protect the environment by using fewer plastic bags and recycling plastic bottles. He says he was heavily influenced by Japanese animation master Hayao Miyazaki’s films which often touch on environmental subjects.

“One of his films, Nausicaa of The Valley Of The Wind [1984], talks about the friendship between an insect and a human. The eyes of the bug go red when it is angry and turn blue when the people are being friendly to it. It taught me the relationship between nature and human beings and how the two should live together peacefully.

“Besides, we are not here to conquer the world,” he says.

To watch Wong’s video and to learn more about the Real Air Pollution campaign, visit www.greenpeace.org/china.

Chemicals Clampdown To Send Costs Soaring – Proposal To Cap Compounds In More Than 70 Products

Nov 8th, 2008
by AdminCTA.
Comments are off for this post

Cheung Chi-fai – SCMP | Updated on Nov 08, 2008

The costs of materials for painting and decorating homes, vehicles and ships are expected to climb as much as 200 per cent after the government introduces new curbs on smog-inducing chemicals. Proposed regulations would cap the level of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in more than 70 products, including vehicle and marine paints, adhesives and sealants for construction and household use.

If the regulations are endorsed by lawmakers, Hong Kong will become one of the leading regions in the world in controlling VOC emissions, following California, which will implement strict limits from January.

The new rules are scheduled to be introduced in phases from January 2010 to April 2012.

The Environmental Protection Department estimates they will cut VOC emissions by up to 700 tonnes a year – about 2 per cent of the total.

But it says some of the affected products could rise in price by up to 200 per cent initially, until more supplies are available in the market.

In a submission to the Advisory Council on the Environment, the department said the new rule was necessary for Hong Kong to meet its pledge to cut VOCs to 55 per cent of 1997 levels under an agreement with Guangdong province. So far, it has achieved only a 40 per cent cut.

VOC content in hair spray and lubricants, insecticides, printing ink and buildings paints has been capped since April last year.

Under the latest rule, the department projected that the prices of adhesives and sealants for construction uses would rise by up to 200 per cent, while the garage trade might need to invest HK$5,000 to HK$30,000 to upgrade its painting facilities.

For shipyards, the impact would be small because painting accounts for only about 3 per cent of total ship maintenance costs.

The department said it had consulted suppliers, manufacturers and users about the proposal and believed they could comply with the new requirements before the regulations took effect.

Hong Kong Vehicle Repair Merchants Association chairman Ringo Lee Yiu-pui said over 80 per cent of the paints and additives the vehicle repair trade used needed replacement under the rule, and the costs would be up to a third higher.

“It is clear that the extra cost will be passed on to consumers. But we haven’t seen, so far, any substitute products available on the market,” he said.

A spokesman for the vehicle maintenance company Inter Auto Engineering said that while the change was believed to be a step in the right direction, the company was concerned about the impact on its costs and client relationships.

Hong Kong Construction Industry Employees General Union head Choi Chun-way said the new regulation should not be implemented until there were proven substitutes for the adhesives and sealants.

“The VOC-free adhesives will take longer to dry, and this will lengthen the work period. But most important, we are not sure these products can deliver the same results as those with VOCs,” he said.

Hong Kong Shipyard manager Ma Chi-wai said the regulation would not affect his business because the cost of paint was directly borne by shipowners. He said he was not worried that shipowners might send their vessels to the mainland for repairs to minimise costs.

The Star Ferry said it had switched to cleaner paints long ago and those now in use were neither toxic nor bad for air quality.

VOCs react in the air with sunlight and oxides of nitrogen to form ozone, a key ingredient in air pollution.

← Earlier Posts Newer Posts →